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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25059787">survival will not be the hardest part</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleQueenTrashMouth/pseuds/LittleQueenTrashMouth'>LittleQueenTrashMouth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Azula (Avatar)-centric, Azula has a crush on Ty Lee but doesn't know it, Canon Compliant, During Canon, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Protective Azula (Avatar), nothing explicit but it is ozai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:07:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,755</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25059787</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleQueenTrashMouth/pseuds/LittleQueenTrashMouth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Azula glances over at her redeemed brother, looking somewhat normal in his Fire Nation armor and with his ridiculous shaggy hair pulled into a passable topknot, and thinks that maybe she can finally take a fucking break."</p><p>***</p><p>Azula tries desperately to keep her brother from getting banished again. Zuko seems to be working against her at every turn.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azula &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>437</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>survival will not be the hardest part</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>“I need you, Zuko. The only way we win, is together.”</i>
</p><p>Zuko is easy to manipulate. Azula just has to mention his honor and their father’s love, and his dedication to the meager life he built with their doddering uncle begins to crumble. But Azula has to be careful; Zuko has had over three years trapped with Iroh, that old fool whispering treasonous thoughts into his ear. She knows that her brother is weak-minded and easily led astray. To get him to come home, she’s going to have to take a bit of a gamble. But she has always been lucky when it comes to gambles.</p><p>The truth is, everything had been easier when he had been home. He was so pitiful and unfocused that Azula didn’t have to try that hard to be better than him. Their father seemed to revel in bringing Zuko down, and building Azula up. He seemed to do the latter just to spite Zuko, trying to motivate him to work harder and be better. And Zuko was so pathetically, fascinatingly <i>soft.</i> No matter what she did, or how much she hurt him, he always forgave her. When they were children, she tested him, probing at his boundaries to see when he would grow a backbone and finally stand up to her. Oh sure, he yelled and threw tantrums, he called her names and said that he never wanted to talk to her again. But every time she reached back out to him, he was there.</p><p>When he had been banished, it was only Azula and the Fire Lord in the palace, and the only person to compare Azula to was herself. “Nearly perfect” was no longer good enough. Sheer perfection was the only thing he would tolerate. She stopped taking breaks in her training to eat or rest. She stayed up well into the night, only to wake up a few hours later to begin to work again. Being flawless was exhausting, but it was worth it to get the praise that Ozai lavished on her. He didn’t see the circles under her eyes, or the gaunt shadows of her cheekbones. All he saw was that she was the ideal successor. </p><p>Zuko never cared that she wasn’t perfect.</p><p>Azula considered herself a pretty good actor. A few deliberate stumbles, a fearful expression as the rock column crumbled beneath her, and she appeared to be trapped between the Avatar and the waterbender. It was difficult not to break and roll her eyes; the idea that she could be at a disadvantage so quickly was laughable. But her plan went off without a hitch. Zuko burst into the room with a jet of fire, and a single look exchanged between them told her she had won. All the hurtful things she had said and done since she had started tracking him didn’t matter anymore. At the sight of his sister trapped between two powerful benders, Zuko immediately went on the offensive, shooting wave after wave of fire at the Avatar. Azula allowed herself a small smirk before taking care of the waterbending girl.</p><p>Zuko always forgave her.</p><p>---</p><p>
  <i>“And after three long years, your prince has returned. Zuko!”</i>
</p><p>Azula glances over at her redeemed brother, looking somewhat normal in his Fire Nation armor and with his ridiculous shaggy hair pulled into a passable topknot, and thinks that maybe she can finally take a fucking break.</p><p>---</p><p>The summons from her father comes the minute her feet hit the floor of the palace. She is sure that he has already received a messenger hawk outlining the fall of Ba Sing Se, the death of the Avatar, and her brother’s return, but of course he would only trust her to give him the full details. She confidently approaches his throne, kneeling before him on the ground. He allows her to stand almost immediately, and she begins her report on the Fire Nation’s take down of the last stronghold of the Earth Kingdom. Ozai is silent throughout, carefully appraising her with his harsh golden eyes. When she was younger, having the full attention of her father would make her falter, but she has efficiently trained that reflex out of herself. </p><p>When she is finished speaking, Ozai leans back in his throne. “And why,” he begins, and Azula instantly knows that he is unhappy with her. Though she does not move a muscle, an involuntary cold sweat breaks out on the back of her neck. “Have you allowed your traitor brother to return?”</p><p>Azula’s mouth is instantly dry. “Zuko has proven himself loyal to the Fire Nation, and he was instrumental in our glorious takeover of the city of Ba Sing Se.”</p><p>“Zuko forfeited his honor when he refused to fight in the Agni Kai,” Ozai rumbled, unconvinced. “He was not to return unless he captured the Avatar and brought him here in chains.”</p><p>Azula’s mind is scrambling, desperately searching for an answer he’ll be happy with. She had hoped that he would be pleased enough with her victory to allow the idiot’s incompetence slide, but clearly that was not the case. Now, she has to think of a way to keep Zuko here, or she will be punished for allowing him to break the terms of his banishment. </p><p>“He killed the Avatar,” she blurts out. The shocked look in her father’s eyes encourages her to keep going. “Under the city, in the crystal catacombs, the Avatar went into the Avatar State. He intended to destroy Ba Sing Se and all of us with it. At the moment of truth, Zuko struck him down.” She deliberately looks down at the throne room tiles, giving the impression of a humbled and awe-struck girl. “I was amazed with his ferocity, I must admit. His flames brought the Avatar down, killing him and ending the Avatar cycle.” She chances a glance back up at the Fire Lord. He doesn’t look thrilled, but he does seem to be appeased. </p><p>“Very well,” Ozai says, sitting up decisively. “I will reinstate Zuko as Crown Prince, and restore his honor to him.” Azula bows deeply and walks out, ignoring the trickle of sweat running down her spine.</p><p>---</p><p>She is going to <i>kill</i> him. That is, if she has the chance before their father does first. Why, in Agni’s name, would Zuko hesitate when she said the Avatar was dead? Obviously, there was no way to know for sure that she had killed him and ended the Avatar cycle. She had researched the Avatar thoroughly since Zuko’s banishment, fully expecting him to die and for her to be able to take over his mission. She had found references to the “Avatar State,” where he would be able to control the power of all of his past lives, and that he would be at his strongest, but also his most vulnerable. The legends said that if the Avatar was killed in that state, the cycle would be broken, but it wasn’t the kind of thing they could test.</p><p>But of course, <i>she</i> had a brain, and knew the value of faking confidence in her decisions. Nobody trusted an indecisive leader, and any incorrect assumptions she made could be dealt with later. Right now, it was important that everybody believe that the Avatar was dead, and she couldn’t have Zuko running around unable to answer questions like “Do you think he miraculously survived?”</p><p>Zuko is going to end up in the same place as the Avatar if she can’t teach him to lie.</p><p>---</p><p>The Dai Li agent she had sent to spy on Zuko is doing an admirable job ignoring the blue flames that Azula is exhaling with every breath. She dismisses him with a curt wave of her hand, and settles back down in her chair. Of course Zuko would be daft enough to go visit their uncle in prison. And of course he would be sloppy enough to just <i> walk right through the front door.</i> She knows that Iroh will never give up on poisoning Zuko against her and their father. And she knows that her weak-minded brother will start to waver, even as he sits in his palace surrounded by everything he’s ever wanted. </p><p>She isn’t the only one who knows this. Since Zuko has been back, Azula has kept an ear to the ground, keeping tabs on what the nobles in the Fire Nation are saying. It was a delicate political maneuver, bringing her banished brother home without the Avatar. Most of the country had accepted that Zuko was a traitor and unfit to rule, and they were unsure about the new status quo. People were already whispering about how different the Fire Nation prince was, speculating on what had happened during his three-year banishment and how that would affect his allegiance to the Fire Nation. If anybody found out that he was conferring with the treacherous Dragon of the West, he would never recover. </p><p>But of course, Zuko doesn’t seem to care about that. In fact, he appears to be intentionally trying to get himself banished again, if not outright executed. She had thought that, with Zuko’s return, she’d have a little space to breathe. Instead, she spends all of her time in the palace chasing after her brother and putting out the (metaphorical) fires he starts before their father finds them. Azula clenches her hands in fists at her sides to keep from ripping her hair out in frustration. It feels like Zuko is free-falling down a chasm and doing absolutely nothing to slow his descent, and her only recourse is to jump in after him.</p><p>Zuko is snotty and ungrateful for her advice, as she expected. Granted, she probably could have found a better time to talk to him than to interrupt his picnic with Mai, but she takes a vicious delight in seeing how annoyed he is. Besides, if she has to waste all of her free time trying to keep him from failing, he can give her some of his free time. “ Believe it or not, I’m looking out for you,” she tells him, arms casually crossed and a bored expression on her face. There’s no way he’ll be able to pick up that she is seething at his stupidity. “If people find out you’ve been to see uncle, they’ll think you’re plotting with him.” Her face softens for just a moment, and she quietly adds, “Just be careful, dum dum.”</p><p>She finds Mai back at her own house. Although Azula personally thinks that Mai is losing brain cells every second she spends with Zuko, at least she’s still smart enough to understand that “Ty Lee needs your help untangling her braid” means “I’ll speak with you later, in private.” The gloomy girl is lounging on a couch in her living room, languidly throwing knives at a well-perforated target hung up on the wall. She tilts her head as Azula comes inside without knocking, and waits for her to speak.</p><p>“My brother is not an intelligent man,” Azula begins, in a commanding voice that does not invite an argument. Naturally, Mai does not give one. “Our mother spent his whole life babying him, and our uncle took over when he got himself banished.” She does not tell Mai that Zuko has been to visit Iroh in prison; there’s no need to divulge such sensitive information. “He’s having a hard time adjusting to normal life. I’ve tried to help him, of course, but for some reason he doesn’t trust me.” Her mouth quirks into a half-smirk, half-grimace. “If you don’t want him to end up exiled again, or worse, I suggest you keep a closer eye on him.”</p><p>Mai is silent for a moment, considering her words. “What do you want me to do?”</p><p>Azula wonders if there is anybody in this city who can have a single thought without her spoon-feeding it to them. “Make him relax, have fun. Order a thousand fruit tarts then send them back to the kitchen. Boss the servants around and take the royal palanquin to the market,” Azula replies, waving one hand theatrically in the air to emphasize her point. </p><p>“What about a private picnic, like the one you interrupted?” Mai’s deadpan tone doesn’t reflect her sarcasm, but Azula still frowns at her insolence.</p><p>“Yes,” she says through gritted teeth. “Something like that.”</p><p>---</p><p>The relief of being out of the palace (and subsequently not having to worry about Zuko getting arrested for treason) was palpable. Normally Azula would resent being sent away while their father began drawing up plans for Sozin’s Comet, but she was mollified by the thought of an entire 48 hours of not having to watch her brother’s every move. Besides, she did have fond memories of Ember Island. It was the kind of place where they could all be “normal,” for a little while. When they were on vacation, their father wasn’t pitting them against each other, and their mother would fuss over Azula like she actually cared about her. </p><p>Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Azula began to feel antsy trying to relax on the beach. A few weeks beforehand, she had been on a high-stakes spy mission in hostile territory, engaging in life-or-death battles that would seal the fate of her nation. It was hard to switch that part of her brain off and just enjoy the sun and sand. And it certainly didn’t help that she could feel her face flush every time she looked at Ty Lee in her swimsuit, or that some kind of internal parasite was twisting her stomach into knots every time a pimply teenage boy flirted with the acrobat. They had spent so much time together, just the three girls, that Azula often forgot that teenage boys existed, and that Ty Lee had the ability to wrap them around her little finger.</p><p>Azula cast about for something to distract herself, and her eyes fell on the volleyball net. “Hey, beach bums,” she called out to the others. “We’re playing next.” She looked over her shoulder and scowled at the sight of Ty Lee surrounded by boys who were <i>literally</i> fanning her, like she was some kind of queen. “Ty Lee! Get over here now!” she snapped, a little harsher than was necessary. She was somewhat appeased that Ty Lee instantly complied, as though she couldn’t wait to get away from her fan club. Obviously, Azula was more important than whatever was going on over there.</p><p>When they were younger, other nobles would often bring their children to the palace to try to curry favor with the royal family. Before Azula had pulled ahead of Zuko in their training, they would play games and team up against the other kids, and together they were unstoppable. Zuko seemed to be able to anticipate her every move, and she his. Working together, they seemed to communicate without talking, moving in sync with each other. Two seconds on the volleyball court, and they had fallen right where they left off, like the past decade had never happened. Yes, Ty Lee and Mai were formidable opponents, but it felt like it was just Azula and Zuko playing. He could kick the ball directly into the air, knowing that she was going to be there to knock it over the net. She could run fearlessly directly at him, knowing he would bend down at the last moment and give her a step to launch herself up in the air, securing their victory. She turned smugly to the other team, elated that they would have to shamble away, defeated. </p><p>Of course, a pair of <i>boys</i> (Azula was beginning to grow tired of them, swarming around Ty Lee like flies, and idly wondered if it would be possible for the Fire Lord to ban them from the island) interrupted her triumph to invite her two friends to a party. “What about me and my brother?” she demanded. “Aren’t you going to invite us?” She included him without thinking about it, though normally she would have let him flounder on his own. She chalked it up to her good mood at winning the game. After the boys begrudgingly invited them and walked away, she saw Zuko shoot her a confused glance. She shrugged in response and looked away, and that was the end of that.</p><p>---</p><p>“Azula, pleeeeeeease let me do your hair!” Ty Lee whined as Azula considered the clothes she had brought with her to decide on what to wear to the party. “It’s so pretty, I bet we can do something extra amazing with it!” Azula pointedly rolled her eyes and put every ounce of her annoyance in her voice when she finally agreed. “Okay, fine, as long as you don’t do a stupid braid like the one you have.”</p><p>If Azula closes her eyes and leans back against Ty Lee’s bare legs while the other girl gently combs her fingers through her hair, well, that’s entirely her business.</p><p>---</p><p>She should have expected that the party would be terrible. Zuko and Mai are sulking in a corner most of the time, Ty Lee is surrounded by boys <i>again,</i> and Azula is left awkwardly on her own. She can’t help but lash out when Ty Lee comes over to talk to her, nor can she help immediately apologizing when the other girl immediately starts crying. After scanning the room, Azula realizes that Chan is one of the only boys that 1) isn’t hovering around Ty Lee and 2) Ty Lee has been eyeing all night. She makes a beeline for him and lets him lead her out on the balcony, making sure to throw a smug look at the other girl on her way out.</p><p>When she comes back inside after her fiasco of a first kiss, she makes eye contact with Zuko, who is filling up a plate with food. He frowns at her expression, and starts to move towards her. Embarrassed with her vulnerability, Azula shakes her head sharply and stalks away. Zuko leaves her alone.</p><p>---</p><p>Azula is secretly more proud of Zuko for breaking the vase than she would ever admit. She openly smirks as Chan hovers around the broken pottery, trying to pick up the broken pieces. He drops one of the larger pieces, causing it to break in half, and Azula barks with laughter. “Oh dear, how is your very important general father going to react to that?” she sneers, the amusement clear in her voice. Chan looks wary about confronting her since her little display outside, but with everyone’s eyes on them he has no choice but to respond.</p><p>“Your asshole brother is paying for this!” Chan shouts, squaring his shoulders and dramatically pointing at the pile of pottery. Azula’s expression visibly darkens, and blue flames flicker around her fingertips. </p><p>“My <i>asshole brother,</i>” she spits. “Is the war hero that slayed the Avatar.” A gasp goes up throughout the crowd. “Remember that, the next time you’re sitting at home waiting for daddy to do all the real work.” She scornfully lets the flames go out, although her feet have left two charred footprints in the hardwood floor. “Ty Lee. Mai. We’re going,” she orders, breezing past them out the front door. “This party sucks,” she says loudly from the doorway as the other two girls dutifully follow her out.</p><p>Mai is the first one that breaks the silence on their walk down to the beach. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said about Zuko.” Her tone is neutral, but that doesn’t stop Azula from turning on her.</p><p>“I expect both of you to keep that entire exchange from Zuzu,” she growls, the threat clear in her voice. “That was purely because that buffoon insulted the royal family line, which extends both to me and the Fire Lord.” Turning back to the path ahead, she misses the amused glance that Mai and Ty Lee exchange behind her back.</p><p>They don’t find Zuko at Lo and Li’s house, and Azula has a feeling she knows where he is. She slowly walks to their old family beach house, not enjoying the nostalgia that it elicits from her. Zuko is sitting on the front porch, holding a large clay disc in his hands. “I thought I’d find you here,” she says quietly, almost sadly. The memories here are suffocating her, clawing their way down her throat. Those “happy” moments were always going to be fleeting. They had to learn how to be leaders, how to let sappy emotional things like this go. Azula learned quickly, Zuko did not.</p><p><i>“Come down to the beach with me. Come on, this place is depressing.</i>”</p><p>---</p><p>The little bonfire therapy session is intriguing to Azula. As someone who feels she understands people fairly well, she is fascinated to find that both Mai and Ty Lee are rife with insecurities. She files them away, fully intending to use them the next time they have a disagreement. After all, she can’t burn a safety net every time.</p><p>She puts a hand to her forehead as Zuko starts complaining about his scar (again), rubbing her temples with her fingertips. She freezes as he reveals that he is still unhappy, and she struggles to keep her anger from expressing itself through the campfire. How can he still be unhappy? Azula has stuck her neck out for him again and again and <i>again,</i> and he’s still finding things to complain about? He’s in his home, he has his honor, and he has their dad’s respect. Azula has worked hard her entire life for that respect, and she handed some of it over to Zuko with no objection, just to smooth everything out again.</p><p>That ungrateful <i>asshole.</i></p><p>Azula is tired of this, especially once the attention turns on her and somebody brings up her mother. As the other three hug and make up, she stands up slowly. “You know what would make this trip really memorable?” she drawls. “Let’s go say goodbye to Chan.” </p><p>The roar of the fire mixes beautifully with the sounds of people screaming and Chan sobbing. For the first time in a long time, Azula genuinely laughs.</p><p>---</p><p>Lo and Li’s small beach house only had a single bedroom that the elderly twins slept in, so the four teenagers were forced to sleep in the kitschy living room. Luckily, there were three couches decorated in vomit-inducing pink and purple bedspreads, so they didn’t all have to sleep on the floor like farmhands. Azula claimed the largest couch for herself without a word to the other three, and Zuko obediently began arranging pillows on the ground for himself. The atmosphere was pleasant, almost joyful. Destroying that obnoxious boy’s party really seemed to lift everybody’s spirits. Azula pressed her fingertips to her lips for a moment, remembering the kiss. Truthfully, she hadn’t particularly enjoyed being a normal teenage girl. She felt more like herself as the destructive Fire Princess trashing the house than she had the entire rest of the day.</p><p>Slowly, the room quieted down, and Azula could pick out Mai and Ty Lee’s slow and steady breathing. She rolled onto her side so she was looking down on Zuko, who was lying on his back on the floor staring at the ceiling. His eyes flickered to her at the movement, then went back to the ceiling.</p><p>“Did you mean what you said?” Azula broke the silence, and he tilted his head in an unspoken question. “At the bonfire. You said you aren’t mad at me,” she clarified, her voice low to avoid waking the other two girls.</p><p>Zuko seemed to think about that for a moment. “No,” he said softly. “I guess I’m not mad at you.”</p><p>Satisfied, Azula moved back to the middle of the couch. It felt like everything had fallen into place, to how it had been before the banishment. Zuko always forgave her.</p><p>“Good night, Zuzu,” she whispered. She didn’t expect a response, but she was glad for the darkness that covered up the smile that broke over her face as he sleepily replied, “Good night, LaLa.”</p><p>---</p><p>“<i>So I guess there’s a big war meeting coming up, huh? And apparently, I’m not welcome there.</i>”</p><p>“<i>Oh Zuko, don’t be so dramatic.</i>”</p><p>Azula spends the rest of her royal hair combing staring contemplatively at the ceiling. She was no longer surprised by Zuko’s whiny outbursts, but she was a little shocked to hear that he wasn’t invited to the war meeting. It was easy for her to immediately lie and soothe his ego, assuring him that he was definitely welcome in the meeting. But she knew that if he were actually wanted, he would have received an invitation. After her hair was cleaned, dried, and styled, she quickly dressed herself and padded out into the hallway.</p><p>Ozai’s office was a space that managed to be overbearingly decorated in Fire Nation regalia while still being incredibly cold and dismal. Azula waited for the guard outside to announce that she was here, and to receive confirmation that he would see her. Ozai looked up at her over the glasses that he only wore in the privacy of his chambers, clearly irritated with the disturbance. “I’m very busy, make it quick,” he said by way of a greeting.</p><p>“It’s about the war meeting,” Azula began, keeping her tone and body language casual. “Zuko seems to think he isn’t welcome.”</p><p>“That’s because he isn’t,” Ozai replied, turning his attention back to the paperwork on his desk as though that were the end of the matter. When he didn’t hear her move, he looked back up at her with a sigh. “Quite frankly, the last war meeting he invited himself to was an embarrassment.” Azula privately thought that was the understatement of the century. “I’m really not in the mood for his theatrics. Sozin’s Comet is a unique opportunity, and I will not squander it on a child picking fights with my advisors.”</p><p>Azula paused, carefully considering her next words. “I completely agree, dad. In the past, Zuko has been a little…dramatic.” She wisely didn’t mention the temper tantrum he had just thrown about this very meeting. “But his experience traveling in the Earth Kingdom could provide valuable insight to the invasion plan. Besides, it will look bad if he isn’t there, like you don’t trust him.” It was risky to imply that excluding Zuko would reflect poorly on Ozai himself, but it was the best way to get him to change his mind. </p><p>After a bit more finessing that bordered on begging, Ozai finally agreed not to have the war meeting without Zuko. Azula made it all the way back to her room before letting out an exhausted sigh. She flopped down on her bed and shut her eyes, wondering how long she had until Zuzu came in with another catastrophe for her to solve.</p><p>---</p><p>Azula’s first stop after the eclipse was the chamber that her father had been taking refuge in. Though she was confident that the Avatar and his woefully inadequate friends wouldn’t dare confront him once his firebending had returned, she was curious to see if they were even stupider than she had thought. If so, she wants a chance to gloat before whatever is left of them is taken to the crematorium. </p><p>The door to the Fire Lord’s safe room is ajar, and Azula can already see regular flashes of blue lightning and hear her father raging from down the hall. She doesn’t <i>hurry,</i> but she does quicken her pace the tiniest bit to see what’s going on. Perhaps they are still fighting, and she can snatch a bit of the glory of killing the Avatar (again) for herself. Pushing the door open, she is surprised to see that Ozai is alone in the room, furiously pacing like a caged animal and periodically shooting lightning and fire at nothing. If he isn’t careful, the entire bunker is going to collapse on them, but Azula wisely refrains from saying anything. </p><p>“Father,” she clears her throat to get his attention. His head snaps up, and his eyes are so full of rage that she almost takes a step back. </p><p>Almost.</p><p>Before she can find a way to delicately ask what’s going on, Ozai punches a ball of fire towards her. She doesn’t flinch as the wave of heat passes by her, the flames licking at the armor on her left arm and singeing her hair. “Your <i>brother,</i> he spits, continuing the kata and turning to kick another jet of flame, this time aimed back towards his throne. “Is a lying, spineless, treacherous little weaselsnake.” And just like that, Azula’s world stops. She doesn’t even feel the next blast of fire that he shoots over her shoulder, or hear the crackle of electricity as her father shatters the face of a nearby wall. Slowly, as though moving through water, she turns her head to scan the floor, wondering which of the scorch marks is her brother. An icy hand squeezes her throat so she can’t breathe and she wistfully wishes, for the thousandth time, that Zuko wasn’t so unbelievably stupid. </p><p>The ringing in her ears began to fade away and Ozai’s ranting began to register with her. “…the impertinence, to storm in here like a <i>child,</i> to tell me he’s going to betray me. If he thinks the Avatar is going to protect him, he has another thing coming!” </p><p>Azula feels the world slowly return around her, the darkness that has begun to creep into the corner of her vision receding. “What?” she asks, not enjoying the unique experience of being at a loss for words. “Where is Zuko?”</p><p>Ozai’s lip curls up in disgust. “Zuko has abandoned his nation and his throne. He has decided to join the Avatar and teach him firebending.” With an undignified snort, he exhales one last stream of fire, then lowers his arms. Azula stares at him, trying to comprehend what he had laid out for her. Zuko…had left? After everything she had done to bring him home, lying and groveling to keep him in their father’s favor, single-handedly trying to restore their family?</p><p>Azula feels the bottom of her stomach drop away as reality crashes against her like waves crashing against the shore. Zuko has deserted her, exactly as he had done three years before. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut and just <i>listen,</i> the way she had learned how to do. She had obsessively watched over him like <i>she</i> was the elder sibling, trying to teach him a lesson that he refused to learn. She was reminded of the story of the frog and the scorpion that their mother had once read to them from a book of classic fairy tales. The scorpion asks the frog to ride on its back across a river. Halfway across, the scorpion stings the frog, paralyzing it and causing them both to drown. When the frog questions why the scorpion would do such a thing and doom them both, the creature replies that that is its nature, and it cannot change.</p><p>For years, Azula had carried Zuko on her back, trying to bring him around, trying to save him. But it was his nature to betray her, and she couldn’t change that any more than she could command the sun.</p><p>“I won’t let this slight go unpunished, Father,” she could hear herself saying, as if she were floating outside her body. “I will bring the traitor back in chains, to be disciplined as you see fit.”</p><p>“No!” Ozai roars, snatching her forearm with a burning hot hand. It takes all of Azula’s concentration to keep the heat away from her skin. He yanks her forward roughly, until she is inches away from his wild eyes. “You put a lightning bolt straight through his wretched heart, the way you should have done with the Avatar.” Her eyes widen at the realization that he knows about her lie, and he shoves her away. “Do <i>not.</i> Fail. Me. Again.”</p><p>Azula obediently sinks to her knees, bowing forward until her forehead touches the smooth stone of the floor. She can see the charred handprint on her sleeve out of the corner of her eye. “Don’t worry,” she whispers, and she can feel her heart turn to stone. “I won’t.”</p><p>---</p><p>On the war balloon to the Western Air Temple, Azula allows herself a long, anguished scream, drowned out by the groaning mechanics of the engine. If the frog were smarter, she thinks, it would have eaten the scorpion years ago, before it could ever think to ask for help across the river.</p><p>---</p><p>Of course, Zuko interrupts her coronation. There is no aspect of her life that he is unable to ruin. She holds up her hand to the fire sage about to crown her to stop him. She rises to her feet, and poses the challenge that she knows he will accept. It is the most natural conclusion for them, she thinks. An Agni Kai is what destroyed their family in the first place, and it’s what’s going to bring the balance back.</p><p>She can hear the traitor muttering to the Water Tribe peasant that he has brought as his backup. “<i> There’s something off about her,</i>” he whispers, refusing to take his eyes off her. “<i>I can’t explain it, but she’s slipping.</i>” She scoffs; she has never felt more aware, the power of Sozin’s Comet coursing through her veins. Around her, she can see flashes of the others that have betrayed her. Her mother stands just behind her, shaking her head disapprovingly. Mai is in front of her, a knife in each hand, eyes narrowed. Ty Lee flickers around her, jabbing at her pressure points in quick movements that Azula cannot feel. These ghosts can’t harm her anymore. Not if she doesn’t let them.</p><p>She stands to face him across the Agni Kai field, carelessly dropping the ceremonial cape that had been draped across her shoulders to the ground. “I’m sorry it has to end this way, brother,” she sneers, and she means every word of it. It’s hard to see her older brother in the man standing in front of her, already in a fighting stance. She can’t remember him looking at her with such hatred before. She tilts her head, and her brain skips. For a second, she sees a Zuko that was never banished, one that knew when to keep quiet and didn’t let his emotions overwhelm him. He is unscarred and smiling, reaching out to her.</p><p>
  <i>“No you’re not.”</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I keep trying to write long rambling notes explaining my entire thought process then deleting them, so instead you can talk to me on tumblr at <a href="https://praetorqueenreyna.tumblr.com/">@praetorqueenreyna</a> if you have any thoughts/questions</p></blockquote></div></div>
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